Career comparison
Lawyer vs. Accountant
Lawyers earn more: a median of $159,670, $75,990 (91%) above accountants at $83,680.
Both are projected to grow at a similar pace through 2035 (+5% and +5%).
Getting in is slower for lawyers: about 3.8 years vs. 2.3 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Lawyer | Accountant | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $159,670 | $83,680 |
| Top 10% earn over | $351,600 | $144,090 |
| Growth to 2035 | +5% | +5% |
| Openings per year | 28,700 | 115,300 |
| Jobs today | 863,700 | 1,595,200 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 3.8 years | 2.3 years |
| Training cost* | $123K–$308K | $18K–$55K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Lawyer
Accountant
Switching from one to the other
Set your education and current pay. The calculator lays out the path, what it costs, and the year it starts paying off.
LawyerAccountant
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Getting in
Lawyer
- Entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: LSAT · Bar exam · MPRE ethics exam · Character and fitness review
Accountant
- Entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: CPA exam and license (needed for audit/sign-off roles, not all accounting jobs)
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Lawyer: 66% usually work over 40 hours a weekAccountant: 50% usually work over 40 hours a week
Lawyer: core tasks
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
Accountant: core tasks
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Process invoices for payment.
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Writing, Complex Problem Solving.
New for a lawyer moving to accountant: Mathematics, Monitoring.
New for an accountant moving to lawyer: Persuasion, Negotiation.
Interests (Holland codes): Lawyer: Enterprising, Conventional, Investigative. Accountant: Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Lawyer
+5%
about as fast as average · 28,700 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Accountant
+5%
about as fast as average · 115,300 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, a lawyer or an accountant?
Lawyers earn more: a median of $159,670, $75,990 (91%) above accountants at $83,680.
Which has the better job outlook?
Both are projected to grow at a similar pace through 2035 (+5% and +5%).
How long does it take to become an accountant?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 2.3 years, with tuition of roughly $18,000 to $55,000. Required: CPA exam and license (needed for audit/sign-off roles, not all accounting jobs).
How long does it take to become a lawyer?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 3.8 years, with tuition of roughly $122,500 to $307,500. Required: LSAT, Bar exam, MPRE ethics exam, Character and fitness review.